Unrequited Love
by Lady Dark Hatter
Summary: Love is cruel, and for the god of dreams, it is the worst. Anastasia, the daughter of Thanatos, was taken under Morpheus's care. Though she was destined to be a reaper, he saw more in her. And as their innocent affair continued, Aphrodite demanded justice
1. Through the Looking Glass

_The world is cruel, no other way to express such a thing. Love is the creator of life, and love is a destructive beast that eats at the souls of those it victimizes. It is deceiving, lulling you into a sense of false security until the very earth underneath your feet vanishes in a sudden, silent flash. But love can be kind, to heal the heart of woes unheard of. However, that is a rare commodity. Unrequited love is the cruellest of mistresses, making a person realize in the harshest manner..._

_"I will always be __**worthless**__..."_

_~x~_

In the darkest part of the realm of dreams, two men stood facing one another. The shorter, younger, one choked and hacked as the man before him held his throat in a deathly grip. Then again, what was expected when you angered the Grim Reaper. Death's eyes were grey and lead into endless nothingness. But his face was beautiful, as if hand sculpted by the Creator itself. His appearance was deceiving as a dragonfish's light.

The boy's eyes were a color wheel, churning with different colors, but in his fear they drained of color and glazed grey like that of a corpse. As his body was shaken like a ragdoll, his hood fell back to reveal his sandy blonde hair that draped over his right eye. His face was pale, life draining from it slowly.

Never once he thought a god could die.

"Listen to me, Morpheus!" Death's booming voice hissed hatefully, leaning his face threateningly closer to his nephew's. "You are to convince the girl to follow me and pledge her allegiance at the age of truth!"

Morpheus whimpered and held his hands over that of Death's, attempting to pull them away. But the more he tried, the more the bony fingers dug into his neck. He swore he could see Tartarus in a flash of red.

"I have already lost the last one because of your disobedience! I need as many of these creatures as I can possess! They must follow their destinies for the sake of balance!" At last he released the boy and allowed him to fall onto the non-existing ground. This realm was created by his father, so he could manipulate it as he wished.

"U-Uncle...!" Morpheus gasped and attempted to push himself up. His arms were shaking as he tried to regain his breath. "W-What happened to that kid was not my fault...! I do not control animals, so I am not the reason he died the day before his time!"

Death glared down at the boy and kicked him viciously in the stomach. Morpheus gasped as the wind was knocked clean out of him. He fell onto his side and slowly curled into an agonized ball. He clutched his stomach tightly as his body quivered in ringing pain.

"Do as I command or you will wish you had never been conceived!" Death placed a foot on his nephew's arm and forced him to roll onto his back. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes... Thanatos..."

~x~

The moment of truth had arrived. Morpheus sighed tiredly and spread his black wings. The girl he was to deceive went by the name of Anastasia Harkov. She was now three and officially old enough to comprehend dreams. For the first two years of her life, like all infants, Phantasos was taking care of her sleeping mind. But now Thanatos had forced him to take time away from his already busy life to start tricking her into believing that her father was a good man...

What a bunch of bloody bullshit.

Morpheus flew through the ivory gate and appeared over a sleeping St. Petersburg, Russia. The city's lights were dimming as the nightwalkers died down and at last returned to their beds. He flew to a suburban part of the city. Rows upon rows of little conjoined houses lay asleep in the dark. This is where he would find the unfortunate child born from Death.

He appeared in the girl's room, invisible to mortal eyes, and took a moment to look around. The walls were once beautiful painted, light blue etched with green vines and red flowers. But now, they were run-down like the rest of the room. In the corner there was a dresser that looked as if it had been made a century ago from hand-carved oak, but it was now chipped and broken. The mirror atop of it was the only thing that was undamaged for the reflective sheet was encased in solid mahogany. A small chest sat open in the corner opposite of the dresser. There were few contents in it, all very old toys that looked like ones a child in America during the Great Depression would have played with. A meter away was a simply nightstand table with a black music box on top. But what laid on the small bed was what truly caught his attention.

She was so small and fragile, like the lightest of a butterfly's kiss would shatter her. Locks of black hair brushed her pale cheek. Her breathing was soft an quiet, seeming so content as she relaxed into sleep, like a little angel. This could not be the child of Thanatos, it was impossible. He had seen his uncle's demigods in the past and they all shared their father's distinguished features, and eventually his personality. But there was only one way to find out for certain,

He dived into her unconscious mind and began to shape her dream. He scanned her imagination to find the elements she would enjoy. He found himself even more shocked. The girl had a very unique imagination, her thoughts as innocent as she appeared. She liked small animals, loved her grandparents (who were currently raising her), enjoyed classical music which lulled her to sleep, and wished she knew her mommy...

Morpheus allowed the dream to piece together carefully, crafting it perfectly. This girl had potential as a person, he was already fully aware. She deserved more than to be a tool for Thanatos. She deserved a chance at having her own life, to be happy. The path to being a reaper was not a straight shot. She had choices, and he would provide her with every little chance she could get.

He would protect this girl from her father, she was going to have better.

~x~

Two years had passed and Morpheus continued to deliver Anastasia the sweet dreams her grandparents wished her for every night. However, he was forced to put bits and pieces of lies about how _good_ her father was. It disgusted him, but it made her smile; there was little he could do to stop it. But as he crafted her dreams, he began to understand her better, finding that they possessed a sort of... secret friendship. She did not have any friends, so he tried to pose as the closest thing.

Even though things for Anastasia were poor outside her dreams, she was still happy. The cruel reality of the world was not enough to taint her innocent mind. She was cheerful and happy, believing that there was someone beyond her grandparents that was looking out for her, that cared for her, even if it was not the person she thought it was. But things were well. That is, until hell broke loose.

Three days after Anastasia's fifth birthday, a group of Eastern European raiders had made their way to St. Petersburg. On their drunken trek towards the heart of the city, they decided to take a detour into the suburban neighbourhood and pillage the first house they laid their hands on. This one happened to be that which harboured Anastasia and her grandparents. She was forced to listen to the only family she had be mutilated. And for the first time, she laid eyes on her father as he came to end the elderly couple's suffering.

When the raiders attempted to come for Anastasia, Morpheus stepped in. He had made the men feel fatigued and one ended up murdering two others from a shaky trigger-finger which made the rest panic and flee. This left Anastasia scared, confused, and most of all, alone...

Pity, sympathy, and guilt crushed the dream god's heart. She was all alone now and where she was to be taken would provide for her no safe haven. Her distant relatives in New York were drunks who only took her in for the benefits from the government. She was neglected and abused, and dreams could only provide her with so much comfort. But he had an idea.

~x~

He searched the underworld until he found Anastasia's mother, a women by the name Kisa Harkov. When he found her, he was instantly reminded of her daughter. They had the same black hand and pale skin. Kisa had bright blue eyes, unlike Anastasia's blue-greyish. She was tall and extremely thin, she must have been anorexic before Thanatos had chose her, and he could see why. Despite her under-eating habit, she was a beautiful women and was still motherly even after death.

She was in the Elysian Fields, where the mistresses of Thanatos were allowed entry to in the underworld. Even though she was blessed to be welcomed into a fortunate afterlife, she was not at all cheerful. She stared off beyond the beautiful fields towards Erebus, the blackest pit in Hades that was not full of the damned like Tartarus. She was waiting for something... or rather, someone.

"Kisa Harkov." Morpheus called out to her.

"Maybe." She replied coldly. "Depends on who's asking." Her voice was a bit groggy, like a person who had smoked cigarettes their entire life.

"That's no way to speak to a god." He glared at the women's back. She looked like Anastasia, but sure as hell did not act like her.

"What are you going to do? Send me to Tartarus?" She looked at him coldly over her shoulder, looking down at him as if he were just some annoying insect. "Hell is a state of mind, not a location." She turned her head away and stared back off towards Erebus.

"It doesn't matter." Morpheus growled back. "I'm here to ask you for something."

"I'm dead, I have nothing. Thanks for stopping by anyway, and have a nice day." Kisa replied simply and waved lazily over her shoulder.

"It's not for me, it's for your daughter."

That got her attention. The women stiffened at the god's words. She slowly turned to look at him. Her expression had softened and her eyes were full of worry and surprise.

"Anastasia...?" Her voice was just enough to be heard. It was choked slightly with threatening tears. Her expression hardened again as she took a step towards Morpheus. Her body trembled with was seemed like painful rage. "What has he done with her...? What has he done with my daughter?" She reached out to grab Morpheus by collar of his cloak but the god was too fast.

He grabbed her wrists and pushed her back slightly.

"Enough." He said sternly. "He has done nothing to her, the Fates have." He sighed softly and stared at the ground of a moment before staring into Kisa's scared eyes. "Your parents were recently killed and Anastasia has been forced to move in with your second cousins in New York."

She paused for a moment and stepped back from the god. Her eyes blankly scanned the ground, her mind racing with panic. She remembered her drunken cousins all too well. Olga and Lenard... They lived in a run-down neighbourhood in New York City and drank all their money away. They were probably still jobless and living off the government's money. To imagine what they would do to her daughter...

"What do you need from me?" She asked sternly, determination in her eyes.

Morpheus raised his chin in approval. She was a good women and way out of his uncle's league, mortal or not. She knew where her loyalties lied and she stood up for herself. He could not help but wish for Anastasia to pick up on a few of her mother's stronger traits.

"I need you to open your memories to me." He answered. "Anastasia needs to know her mother and your parents story did not create enough of a picture. If you allow me to copy your memories, I can make it so that Anastasia knew you as best as anyone by playing them out in dreams."

Kisa did not even need to think when she answered. "Yes, of course. Anything to make Anastasia's life better."

Morpheus smiled at her and nodded. "Thank you. I know Anastasia will appreciate it."

~x~

Years passed and Morpheus continued to make it is unofficial duty to make Anastasia happy. His dreams became her sanctuary, somewhere she could be safe and happy. He could not help but love her. The kind of love a father and child share. That caring bond and yearn to protect. He would be her shoulder to cry on, the arms to keep her warm, and the person who kept her safe.

But little did he realize, he was so focused on protecting this girl he was neglecting his duties as a dream messenger for the gods. Phantasos and Phobetor were incapable of properly delivering prophecies, but they did a rather satisfactory job for most gods. Most gods except the most picky of them all, Aphrodite.

The women huffed stubbornly and placed a hand on her hip. Her red silk dress clutched her perfect curves and, more importantly, cut low enough to show an inappropriate amount of cleavage and make her ass look fantastic. Her wavy blonde hair traveled elegantly past her shoulders and cupped her face to make her sky-blue eyes pop.

"Ignore my needs for some stupid daughter of death, will you Morpheus?" She spoke arrogantly to herself, holding her head high like royalty. "I'll show you what happens when you piss off the goddess of love..."


	2. Corruption

Things were becoming even more dangerous than they were before. Monsters have now taken Anastasia into attention, and with no proper weaponry, she was closer to her father than Morpheus found comfortable. He managed to ward the beasts away by contacting his own children. Yes, they questioned why they were protecting some unknown girl, but it was not as if a satyr would actually try to protect a child of death.

But there was something far more dangerous to Anastasia than the monsters that crawled around the streets more ramped then rats and insects... It was the family she was forced to live with. He had never thought that humans could blame a person, let alone a child, for something that was inevitable, such as Kisa's death. It was getting harder for Anastasia to fall asleep for the fear she may be hurt, which meant she was out of Morpheus's domain.

He had to get her some place safe, some place where she could be at peace. Even if she never slept again, he only hoped she would find a place of acceptance. Humans were cruel, too much like the gods above... But there had to be one place Anastasia could possibly go...

Then it hit him.

~x~

"No. No, no, no, no, hell no!"

"Phobetor, listen to me bro. I really need the help."

Phobetor's green reptilian eyes narrowed at his brother. The black swirls on the hood of his red sweater flickered and swept viciously around like the tentacles of an angered octopus. His jagged teeth clenched dangerously together as he released a low, throaty growl.

"I think Phan and I already helped you enough. Besides, you won't even let us near the girl. You really think I'm going to lead her to that demigod camp?" He took a threatening step towards Morpheus, his brother not reacting to it the slightest. "What the hell do we get from helping you? You think just because you're the strongest of us you can just push us around without a catch?"

It never did occur to Morpheus... He had sort of just, simply... disregarded his duty as the leader of the Oneiroi. He had been so caught up with guarded and comforting Anastasia that he made his brothers take on his work. Damn... He was an ass.

"Fine." The god sighed and rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. He needed to think of something to convince his brother. He'd rather the girl follow an animal then a man she never knew... "Once Anastasia finds someone to take care of her and make her happy I will release my grip on her and you and Phan can visit her as you like."

Phobetor merely raised a brow as if to say "Are you serious? That's it?". He sighed and pulled his hood down over his face with an annoyed snarl. He placed his other hand on his hip and turned his back to the other while he thought.

Well, Morpheus bragged about her imagination, though he was never allowed to poke around in it. And it would be pretty fun to mentally scar her for life and have a good laugh with Demios over it. But the best part would be once the ordeal was over and done with, he would not have to listen to Morpheus rant about the girl ever again. Yeah, that sounded good.

"Fine." He sighed and turned on his heels to face his brother, arms crossed over his chest. "I'll lead her to the demigod camp. But if Dionysus has questions about what the fuck I was doing there, you're to blame. Oh, and I get to be a monster and chase her there." A smirk crawled onto his face.

"Yes, to the first; no, to the second." Morpheus replied. He raised his chin and crossed his arms over his chest. "She has enough monsters on her tail, I do not need you making worse."

"Fine, not a monster. What about a big, scary dog?" Phobetor looked hopeful.

"Not going to happen. I'd rather you become something more... peaceful."

"Then why the hell don't you ask Hecate for help?" The young god shouted angrily. "She's the one who leads people, she's the one who should be doing this!"

Morpheus sighed and tilted his head slightly, his color-wheel eyes pleading like a kicked puppy. "Because you're my brother and brothers look out for each other."

Phobetor's eye simply twitched from irritation. He felt the urge to strangle his brother, that was obvious in his slouched-yet-tense posture. Morpheus simply pouted childishly at his brother.

"Come on, you know I helped convince Hecate to date you, show a brother some love." He pleaded.

At last the nightmare god sighed in defeat, his reptilian eyes staring coldly still. "You so _owe me_!" He hissed and stomped away childishly.

Morpheus merely smirked victoriously. Phobetor was childish, yes, but easy to convince. But the nightmare god already had enough I-O-Us from his dear elder brother. He sometimes wondered if his brother was saving them up to have him do something stupid...

But so long as Anastasia was somewhere safe, everything would be find.

And so the girl was. Anastasia had followed a butterfly (much to Phobetor's dismay) all the way to Camp Half-Blood. The first, and likely the only, child of the death god to find themselves there. What monster really wanted to attack something so _useless_ anyway? Or at least, the two that ran the camp thought so. Dionysus was not pleased to even catch a whiff of her scent on the grounds. And sadly, so did most of the children there.

Even though cramped into a cabin with, what seemed to be, a hundred children of Hermes and other minors, Anastasia seemed to feel more alone than ever. Morpheus could feel her sorrow seep into her imagination, her thoughts becoming morbid. He only wished he could influence the children to be kind to her, but their parents would not be pleased with his meddling.

For now, he would provide her with whatever comfort he could until salvation came. But he had no idea when that would be. Or even if it would happen.

~x~

Aphrodite smirked to herself as she stared down coldly at the mirror made of cloud, a mirror that showed her anything she wanted down on earth. Now was the perfect time to inflict Morpheus's punishment. Yes, he would be made to suffer. All he would need is the help of her son.

"Eros!" She called and pushed a golden lock behind her ear. She waited impatiently with a perfect French-tipped fingers enclosed on her hips.

A young man, looking just over the age of twenty, approached her. He wore a white linen shirt with the top three buttons undone to give a teasing glance at his perfectly sculpted chest. Black trousers with white pinstripes fit his legs perfectly and cut off to show his brown Italian leather shoes; a man of great expense. A black fedora sat atop the silky locks of his blonde hair. His bright blue eyes were full of life, but seemed careful and innocently curious. He raised his hand to loosen his already-loosened tie further, seemed as if it were still choking him.

"Mother." He greeted with a charming smile. He extended his arms outward as an invitation for a hug.

Aphrodite did not hesitate to accept and kissed her son on both his cheeks. "We have allot of work to do, Eros, and we need to get to it right now."

Eros took a fearful step back and winced slightly. "Mom, you know how I feel about using my arrows to hurt people. I-I know Morpheus pissed you off, he pisses allot of people off, but isn't this a bit extreme? No other god seems to be taking effect, so perhaps you should just... you know, let it go?"

A loud echo of flesh making contact with a force echoed through the empty space. Eros's cheek burned red and his vision became temporarily blurred by tears. He cupped his red cheek and turned to look at his mother with pain-filled eyes. God or not, it hurt more on an emotional level than it did on a physical whenever his mother struck him.

"Do not talk back to me, Eros." Aphrodite lowered her hand. "I am no other god and I will not be ignored by the likes of anything that is a descendent of that Tartarus-spawn, Nyx!" Her eyes softened from rage to cool disgust. "Now, here is the plan."

~x~

Morpheus sighed softly as he laid on his bed. Erebus was dark as always. Then again, his grandfather was the god of darkness for a reason, so his realm should be that way, even if a section of it belonged to him. But, even he could not lighten the realm of dreams, only flash pictures of his thoughts onto the darkness like a futuristic screen.

For some reason, he was unable to keep his mind away from Anastasia. Pictures of her flashed in the darkness, her voice filled his ears. He slowly sat up and held open his hand. A red flower with a black center appeared in his palm; a poppy.

"A hypnotising flower that only appears in broken earth..." The god mused softly. He ran his fingers lightly over the soft petals. "Such beauty appearing in the saddest of places..." _Just like my little Anastasia._..

He mentally slapped himself. No, no, no! No way he could love Anastasia in that way, never. She was just a little girl, he would be a pedophile if he dared to lay a hand on her, let alone think such a way of her. She had just turned twelve years of age...!

But she had begun developing the year before. An image of her appeared in the darkness before him. He observed her form carefully. The way a light blush always seemed to cup her cheeks. The way her raven-like hair traveled down to the middle of her back. Her large, innocent doe-like eyes that always seemed so curious. The gentle curves that made her body. The small, perfectly shaped breasts that atoned her chest.

He could not think clearly anymore. His mind was dazed with love. Love for Anastasia. Love he could not begin to understand. But he no longer cared. Age was but a number and the gods could care less. All he cared about was making Anastasia his.

His, and his alone.

~x~

Eros sighed softly as he loaded his gun with bullets. Though what was his gun with its bullet were nothing more than his bow with its arrows; his weapons in love. He stared at the silver handgun that had the name _Cupid_ engraved in it with elegant calligraphy. This was the tool he used to make all people fall in love. And it was the tool he was now being forced to use to ruin a good god's life.

He felt utterly responsible for what was about to happen.

Mother had placed her spell on Morpheus, already star struck by the young girl. It was time for him to make his way to the camp.

With a sigh he transformed himself into a dove and flew off to Long Island, New York. He hoped he would not be sensed by Chiron or Dionysus or they would start asking questions. Eros did not want to be doing this. Sure, he liked to cause a bit of mischief with his abilities, he and Hermes had great laughs whenever they had the chance to hang out, but those were harmless. These, however, were going to ruin two people's lives and get himself in huge trouble.

He landed in the demigod camp and hid behind one of the cabins. He was invisible to humans, but it was the other creatures here that he was worried about seeing him. He pulled his gun from his belt as he scanned the area. His eyes locked onto her target easily.

A small girl sat on the sandy shore and stared out distantly onto the salt water. Her knees were pulled up to her chest as if she sensed something was wrong. And she was correct.

Aphrodite wanted the girl to fall in love with an animal or something, something that could never return the same feelings. Something that would make Morpheus become insane. The problem was, she never thought it through. It was likely that the girl was unable to feel love like so many other children of Thanatos (As well as the god himself). If that was the case, Morpheus would still be miserable, but the girl could still make a nice pet.

Yes... A nice, incredibly smelly, human pet.

Eros raised the gun and aimed at the girl's back. He closed an eye and focused. His thumb pulled back to safety and his finger was ready on the trigger.

"I'm so sorry."

The shot echoed through the air, but it was silent to all except himself and the birds that nested in the trees. He lowered his gun and watched, curious to see what creature Anastasia would fall in love with. The first thing she saw.

"Hey." A boy called. He was sixteen years old and a smile played on his lips. His blonde hair swept over his chocolate brown eyes. A blue button-down shirt was pulled over a white wife-beater that clutched his muscles perfectly.

Anastasia's head shot up to meet the person who spoke. Her bluish-grey eyes widened with wonderment at the boy before her.

It was love at first sight.

~x~

"Silas?" Eros shouted. He covered his mouth and cowered back slightly. One of the many offspring he had with mortal women. His demigod. His son. He could see his son's heart's arrow point towards Anastasia, returning her love on instinct, even if the boy never realized it.

A son of life and a daughter of death were in love with one another.

Eros was so dead.

~x~

Morpheus had never been so excited as he awaited Anastasia to sleep. He would appear to her in his true form and convince her to live with him in his realm. She would not only have immortality, but also anything she desired. He was going to make her as happy as she felt.

He could feel his Anastasia fall under her father's spell and he sprung into her mind. He froze once he had found himself in the space. Her thoughts were not the same. Her imagination changed from innocence to about another. A boy named Silas... A boy she was certain she was in love with.

No. No this would not do at all. Anastasia belonged to him and him alone. He had guarded her for years without complaint, went out of his way to protect her. He owned her by right.

He did not care for the amount of people he had to kill. Anastasia Harkov was to be his.


	3. Obsession

Morpheus was in a panicked rage. How could something like this occur? She was too young to get involved with the kind of boys like this _Silas_. He had made sure to visit the boy's mind and check his thoughts and fantasies thoroughly. He was not pleased with what he found. The boy was so sexually active, one would think he was Himeros's demigod rather than his twin, Eros.

It sickened the dream god to think of such a creature dare laying eyes on his Anastasia. Some would call him a hypocrite for cursing for such, but his brand for love excluded lust. The sad little son of Eros could not understand his parentage even if he were given a map. Or that's what his mind lead to.

He had to get his girl away from him. But the real question was: How exactly was he supposed to do that? Thanatos was already hounding him for getting too close to his daughter. The death god figured that if his daughter were to get too close to his nephew, she would rather marry than choose her rightful path. He was literally heartless, he cared nothing for his daughter's own wishes.

Morpheus, however, cared deeply for what was best for her. And what was best for her at the time being, was him. He wished to wait until she aged before he offered to her, but now he was pressed for time by two different people.

There was only one place he and Anastasia could be alone without interruption. It would take a bit of magic to keep her anchored, but it was not even the least he could do for her of all people. He would keep her bound to his realm, convincing her to stay with him. If she agreed, immortality would be hers and as would he.

~x~

"Why don't we sleep together tonight, Ana?" Silas offered, a charming smile playing on his lips. He sat on the only clean bunk in the stuffy Hermes cabin. He was the only one who appreciated a bit of tidiness amongst the rambunctious sons of the thief king. Then again, it was possible he was simply putting on a show to get another girl to lay on it. Or at least, that's what Anastasia had heard from the campers' rumours.

Silas was a player and had been with nearly every girl (and nearly some nymphs) at the camp. The child of death feared that if she got too close to him, she would be used and tossed away. But he was very kind to her. He never ignored her or tried to avoid her. He did not spread rumours about her or mock her behind her back. From what she understood about "popular kids", it was what they did. And only in the fairytales she knew as a child did someone like her and a prince, like him, fall in love.

But what was concerning was the way he sometimes acted. He would always attempt to touch her in odd places when they were hugging. He would try to kiss her all the time and occasionally try to weasel his hand up her shirt. It scared her that he was rushing her into things she was yet to understand. She just wished things would slow down for a moment so she could breath.

"N-No thanks." She spoke shyly, offering a meek smile. "I'd rather keep my spot before I lose it." She looked over at the small sleeping bag in the corner of the cabin.

Silas frowned a bit, pouting almost. His brown eyes were pleading. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." She moved over to the corner, slipping into comfy bag. She could hear Silas give a sigh and slip on to his bed, clearly not pleased with the answer. Anastasia felt a bit guilty, but she knew it was for the best.

In a matter of minutes she fell asleep. But when she opened her eyes, she was clearly not at camp.

~x~

The world was like nothing Anastasia could have ever imagined. The sky was night, but she could see planets, other galaxies, and millions of stars, many of which seemed to connect to make constellations she had never seen before. A forest stretched around her with white willow trees that seemed to glow. The grass was a strange mix of pink and purple, but the path she stood on was regular gravel. She flinched as a large insect whisked past her face, but it took her a second to realize it was an incredibly tiny dragon with three pairs of wings that looked like a monarch butterfly. It gave a small roar and fluttered away.

She walked slowly along the path and took around, interested in every detail. She could hear birds chirping, but saw none. Strange insects fluttered and whizzed around large blue, black, and white flowers that seemed to possess an aura. She reached out to touch one of the petals, they were soft under his fingers. She reached for the stem but pulled back quickly when a light sting of pain burned her finger. She had not realized that the plant possessed thorns.

"Be careful." A voice spoke smoothly from behind the small girl. It was clearly male. "Every rose has its thorn."

"They're roses?" She turned to look at the person who spoke. A man with sandy blonde hair that covered his left sat at a small glass table. The table was made up of different coloured bits of glass and rimmed with a thin line of dark grey iron and supported by the same. Two simple metal chairs, the ones you would find in a tea house or something, were opposite to each other on either side. The man occupied one of them.

"If you want them to be, then they are." He assured. He sipped the cup of tea he held in his hands. "Care to join me, Anastasia?"

The girl raised a brow in concern. "How do you know my name?" She asked, taking a cautious step forward.

"I have been waiting a long time for you, my dear. Of course I would know your name." He gave a kind smile. She had to squint to see his eyes and noticed that they were not a single color, but a rainbow that continued to swirl slowly and change shades.

"Then who are you?" She asked at last. She slowly made her way to the table.

"I am Morpheus, the God of Dreams."

~x~

"Have you been trying to wake her up?"

"Oh course I have! It's four o'clock in the afternoon, Bubba, and she was asleep at ten last night! Only you would sleep in that long!"

"I'm the son of Hypnos, what do you expect?" The tall, slightly muscular, Texan chewed the piece of grass in his mouth. His shaggy brown hair stuck up in different places like he had just gotten out of bed. "We need to get an Apollo kid in here. See if there's something that can get her up. If not, we'll need to do something to make sure she doesn't starve."

Clearly the thought had never occurred to Silas that the girl could die of malnutrition while asleep. Either that, or he never feared that she could be asleep for so long.

"I can look after her myself." The son of Eros stated. "I don't need your help or any other's to look after Ana."

"Then I hope you like fuckin' a corpse, 'cause you are not the one to handle something as serious as this!" Bubba's tone was harsh, almost threatening. "Y'all don't seem to realize that I care about her too. Now I don't give a damn what you want, it's what will keep Annabelle alive."

"Her name is Anastasia, you hick!" Silas shot back. He tried to stand tall, but the Texan was taller. Much taller. He towered over the blonde and stared him down.

"If she didn't like the nickname she would have said something. So why don't you just shut up get help."

~x~

Morpheus was over the moon. Anastasia had played right into his hands. She adored the world he had created for her and stood close by him. Clearly she was afraid to go out on her own in the case that she comes across something she could not handle on her own. Not that he was complaining. His time with her was something to cherish. Her innocent mind wandered close and far, allowing him to bend the world to her will, not that she realized it. It was made to be as far as she wished to wander.

"This is just a dream... right?" The girl looked up at the god with concern. Her doe-like eyes were sceptical, but also hopeful. For what reasons, Morpheus was unaware.

"It doesn't have to be." His voice was like silk, soft and smooth. "This can be a world you can stay in forever if you want." It was his turn to seem hopeful. If Anastasia were to agree, he would keep her, body and soul, within the safety of his realm until she was ready to be wed. He could already feel her soul sinking deeper within; she was being convinced to stay.

Anastasia stopped walking when they came to the edge of a large pool of water It was the size of a lake, but it was completely still. No waves, no ripples. She could see her reflection against the surface. Morpheus stood behind her, standing nearly and head and a half taller than her. He made sure his face was a mask of indifference, but he could still see the concern, the thought, in the young girl's. Her confused emotions caused the grass to sway in different directions and the leaves of willow trees to sway. The creatures began to wander aimlessly and occasionally crash into one another.

"If this is a world of my own," Anastasia spoke at last. "Can I bring Silas here?" She stared at Morpheus from his reflection on the mirror lake.

The god's heart fell heavy at the mention of the name, but the sadness was soon replaced by envy and rage. This world was to be the only thing on her mind, to dispatch all memories of that damned son of Eros. He was not welcomed here. Morpheus had been the one who guarded Anastasia her entire life and he would be the one to make her happy for the rest of eternity. He refused to allow that other to make Anastasia spill tears on his behalf. No, not a single worried, painful, or happy thought about Silas would enter her mind and draw her from his world.

"Why would you ever need him, my dear?" He purred softly. He wrapped his arms around her centre and drew her close to his chest. "He will never make you happy, only I can do that. He will hurt you and those wounds would not heal." He lowered his head and put his lips by her ear. "Stay here with me. I'm all you'll ever need."

His embrace was warm and comforting, the young demigod noted. It was like falling against a soft bed. Her mind yearned to stay there and never move from such a consoling hold. However, her heart told her to run before it was too late. A shiver rocked her body as warm air caressed her ear. The temptation to agree to Morpheus's words was almost undeniable. To reside here and see what else this dreamscape possessed.

"I can't..." Her trembling lips at last uttered. Her voice was so quiet and meek she was afraid it would be carried away by the wind, but she knew the god had heard it when his entire body tensed.

"A-Anastasia, my sweet girl." His voice was nervy, afraid. "Nothing and no one will ever hurt you here." He ran his trembling fingers through her black locks, the silky feeling calming him slightly. But as the onyx hair slipped from his fingers, it started to pale. She was fading; being pulled out of the dream. But that was impossible. He had used a spell to anchor her, a spell only he could break. Unless...

_Hypnos... Damn that father of mine straight to Tartarus! Always assisting both sides._ He thought coldly. He was so close to keeping the love of his immortal life with him for all eternity, but Hypnos must have used a releasing spell. But why...? Then the answer surfaced. The son of Eros had gone to Hypnos for a spell that would awaken Anastasia; an insomnia hex. There was only one final chance he had of keeping her.

"Anastasia, please listen to me." His hold on her tightened and he could hear her release a quiet gasp. "I will do everything in my power to make you happy. If you get bored of this world, I can change it to whatever you desire. You deserve so much more than mortal standards." His voice was panicked, sounding mumbled by trembling lips. "I-I..."

"I don't want to be here without Silas!" Anastasia's voice was at last determined, but not about what the god had hoped. "If he can't be here than I don't want to be here!" She thrashed around viciously and managed to break free other the other's grip.

"But I love you!" Morpheus argued. "I love you more than anyone ever could! Especially him."

"You're lying!" She shouted, causing him to be taken aback. "I know Silas loves me and I love him!" She turned to glare at him. Her eyes were glazed over grey but they seemed to have a fainted red glow, the same look her father, Thanatos, possessed whenever he was completely furious. "I don't want your love."

Everything stopped. Every breeze, every creature's breath, and Morpheus's heart. Anastasia vanished before him and the sound of a thousand mirrors shattered stabbed his ear drums.

~x~

Anastasia's eyes shot open and she gave a loud gasp. She stared at the ceiling for a moment to regain herself, another moment passed. She finally realized she had no idea where she was. The ceiling drooped and did not seem solid. It was an ivory color. Surrounding her was a curtain made of the same material and color. A small table lined with needles and a Styrofoam cup half filled. She was in the medical tent.

"Oh, Ana, thank the gods you're alright." A familiar voice spoke with utter relief. She turned to meet the deep brown eyes of Silas. He looked like he had not slept for days, ironic considering she felt completely well-rested. Extremely confused, but well-rested.

Silas embraced the Russian tightly, but made sure not to hurt her. "I thought you would never wake up." A tear escaped his eye. "I thought I lost you."

The girl raised a brow, her confusion increasing. "Wait... Never wake up?" She shook her head slowly. "I-I was only asleep for a few hours, wasn't I?" It had felt like she had been in that dream for a few hours, after all.

The older demigod's brows furrowed together, concerned further. "Anastasia, you were asleep for two weeks."

Her expression was so shocked Silas was afraid he had grown a second head. She shifted on the bed to sit up right. Her gaze softened to misunderstanding and drew away from his face. Two weeks? She had been asleep for two weeks? But it had only felt like a few hours when she was with Morpheus.

"At the end of the first week, your body... It started to thin, like you were becoming a ghost." he tried to explain, but it was hard. How did you describe your girlfriend losing her solid being? "I went to look for something to wake you up. I found Hypnos and he gave me a spell to wake you up. But I used that spell yesterday." He embraced her once again, burying his nose in her soft locks. "I was so scared."

The curtain drew back and the tall Texan, Bubba, stepped forth. A large cowboy hat was shading his face and hiding his messy hair. His jeans were ripped and as was his orange camp shirt.

"Y'all wouldn't have gotten nowhere if I hadn't found out where my Pa was." He stated in gruff southern drawl. "In all honesty, he just tagged along for the ride to Florida."

"Shut up and let me have this, will you?" Silas growled and held Anastasia possessively.

The girl merely laughed and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend. "Its fine, I don't care who did what exactly. Thank you both. I'm just happy to be back." To be back with Bubba, with Silas. Her closest friend and love of her life. Love not even a god could shine over.

~x~

Morpheus stood silently in the dark, lifeless darkness realm. Anastasia had rejected him. She had openly rejected his genuine love for that of some mortal. He felt crushed, like the weight of the sky was on his shoulders rather than that of Atlas.

"Ana... my little Anastasia..." He voice was choked, painful. Tears slipped down his cheeks. The pain of rejection was menacing. The first god to be rejected the love of a mortal.

No, that could not be the reason. Silas had her bewitched, children of Eros had that ability. He was deceiving Ana like he had predicted all along. She did not truly love the demigod, but he was blinding her into thinking so. If the god could open her eyes, she would return to his arms and they could be together in peace.

At least, that's what Morpheus hoped. So desperately hoped.

He would not surrender Anastasia. He would fight until the end for her heart; even though it was forever a useless battle.

~xxx~

_True Fool's Gold is not a stone of little value, but an emotion that is forever denied and sought after. The gold of fools is love. And love unrequited was what they seek to prove wrong._


End file.
